‘Madiba': 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Nelson Mandela (Photos)

BET's "Madiba" will tell the life of legendary anti-apartheid revolutionary and global civil rights icon Nelson Mandela. But here are seven facts about the South African leader that you may not have known.

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He was a movie starKinda ...
Nelson Mandela had a cameo in Spike Lee's 1992 "Malcolm X." At the end of the film, he is shown reciting Malcolm's "By any means necessary" speech to a Soweto classroom, but the activist would not say those famous four words so Lee cut to footage of Malcolm X delivering the phrase.

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He has a lot of awards
Like at least 250 a lot. In addition to his 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, Mandela has honorary degrees from multiple universities and even has a European Footballer of the Year award dedicated to him.
He was also the last person to be awarded the Lenin Peace Prize from the Soviet Union.

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He has his own holiday
In November 2009, the United Nations declared that Nelson Mandela's birthday, July 18, would be known as Nelson Mandela International Day.

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He refused release from prison
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years before he walked free, but he could've gotten out earlier -- except he didn't want to.
The South African government had offered him release from prison - if he would denounce the activities of the African National Congress.
He said: "I cannot sell my birthright nor am I prepared to sell the birthright of the people to be free."

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He was a master of disguise
Mandela was nicknamed the Black Pimpernel for his ability to escape capture.
He disguised himself as an unkempt man, a chauffeur, a chef or a gardener.
In his autobiography, he says: "Just as there is a way to walk in a room in order to make yourself stand out, there is a way of walking and behaving that makes you inconspicuous."

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He was supposed to get an arranged marriage
But he ran away.
After his father died, he was adopted by a high-ranking Thembu regent who wanted him to have a role in tribal leadership.
However, once Mandela learned that his guardian had arranged a marriage for him, he ran away to Johannesburg and worked as a night watchman.

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His name wasn't always Nelson
Mandela's birth name was Rolihlahla Mandela, but when he went to a local missionary school a teacher gave him the name Nelson (imposing English names on African children was a common practice in schools at the time.)